The dramatic surroundings of Hingol National Park in Balochistan province are the setting for Pakistan’s largest Hindu celebration, Hinglaj Yatra, which started on Friday and ends on Sunday.
Muslim-majority Pakistan is home to 4.4 million Hindus, just 2.14 percent of the population, and the ancient cave temple of Hinglaj Mata is one of the few Hindu sites in the country that continues to draw large numbers of pilgrims every year.
The journeys begin hundreds of kilometres away, mostly from neighbouring Sindh province. Hundreds of packed buses set off from cities like Hyderabad and Karachi, travelling along the Makran Coastal Highway that hugs Pakistan’s south and southwest.
But there is scant parking and vehicular access to the holy sites, so many pilgrims disembark and complete their travel by walking over parched and rocky terrain, sometimes barefoot and carrying children or luggage.
It’s a few kilometres from the main road to the mud volcano and then, from there, almost 45km (28 miles) to Hinglaj Mata.
Kanwal Kumar, 28, was visiting the temple for the first time with her husband. “We have yet to conceive a child after six years of marriage, so we are hopeful for help from the goddess,” she said. “We believe that no one returns empty-handed. All wishes are granted by Hinglaj Mata.”
While there is no ban on Hindu worship in Pakistan, openly practising the faith is not routine, as ties between Pakistan and Hindu-majority India are riddled with animosity and suspicion.
Versimal Divani, the general-secretary of Hinglaj Mata, lamented that only Hindus in Pakistan can attend the festival.
“We can visit this temple in our beloved country whenever our heart desires,” said Divani.
“But this is not the case for the rest of the world’s Hindus. I would like the Pakistani government to issue them visas so they can come here and take blessings with them. It’s good for people-to-people contact and it’s good for the economy, too.”
Baisakhi is an ancient festival symbolising the new harvest season and the beginning of the solar new year.
In gurdwaras, or Sikh temples, people participate in congregational singing, eat communal meals and reflect on the tenets of their faith that revolve around “seva,” or serving fellow human beings and seeking to build a just society while living a simple life.
The Sikh religion, with its line of 10 gurus, is traced back to the time of Guru Nanak, the first guru. He was born in a village in present-day Pakistan in the northern state of Punjab in 1469.
He rejected the prevalent unequal caste system, which determined and fixed the status of people by birth. Instead, he looked upon humanity as one and encouraged his followers to work hard and perform acts of charity.
The spirit of Baisakhi is reminiscent of the ideals of the gurus.
Drones capture images of thousands of Muslims celebrating Eid at New Delhi’s Grand Mosque in India. The Taj Mahal too became a site for worship, as did mosques and markets across the country.
More than 60,000 Palestinians offered Eid al-Fitr prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, but the atmosphere was subdued and not festive as people mourned the victims of Israel’s more than six-month war on the Gaza Strip.
Large contingents of Israeli police officers were deployed at the entrances, surrounding areas and alleys of the city. Because police barred some people from entering the compound, they prayed instead at the mosque’s outer gates.
While few people from the occupied West Bank were permitted to enter, the Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem said in a statement that more than 60,000 faithful offered prayers to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Israel has restricted Palestinians’ access to Al-Aqsa Mosque amid growing tensions across the occupied West Bank due to the Israeli army’s ongoing offensive on Gaza.
Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest site in Islam, which has stood on a hill in the Old City of Jerusalem for more than 1,300 years. Jews refer to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound as the Temple Mount and believe it is where the first and second ancient Jewish temples once stood.
Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move that is not recognised by the international community.
Jakarta, Indonesia– Millions of Muslims across Indonesia, including some of its ethnic Chinese minority, are preparing for Lebaran, as Indonesians call Eid, the festival that marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.
About 87 percent of Indonesia’s more than 270 million people are Muslim and while most of the nearly 3 million ethnic Chinese – according to its 2010 census – are Buddhist or Christian, others have become Muslim.
Muslims around the world are expected to mark Eid on April 10 this year.
Johanes Herlijanto, the co-founder and chairman of the Indonesian Sinology Forum (FSI), said estimating the number of Chinese Indonesian Muslims was “very difficult” as “the number of ethnic Chinese people as a whole was still a matter of debate”, referring to the differing figures between experts.
Johanes said they were “a diverse community” with varying commitments to their religion.
“We will find people who practise religion strictly, for example, wearing Islamic clothing. There are even religious leaders among them,” he said.
“We will also find people who do not really emphasise their religious identity, so they are not too different from ethnic Chinese society in general.”
Jakarta’s Babah Alun Mosque, designed with elements of traditional Chinese architecture, was built by a Chinese Indonesian Muslim businessman Jusuf Hamka [File: Adek Berry/AFP]
Agni Malagina, an independent researcher focusing on the Chinese Indonesian community, said people suspected Chinese who became Muslim often let go of their cultural identity, but she said that was not necessarily true.
“Many still know their roots and do not hesitate to admit their Chinese identity,” she told Al Jazeera.
Agni, who previously taught sinology at Universitas Indonesia, said the community’s acculturation process was “dynamic” and that interethnic marriage was “the most common” way Chinese became Muslim, although Indonesia’s marriage law does not explicitly require non-Muslims to convert to get married.
She cited lontong opor ayam (braised chicken in coconut milk served with rice cake) as an example of Chinese and Indonesian Muslim cultural fusion. The food is served during Lebaran.
“[Chinese Muslim families] respect each other by serving halal dishes,” she added.
But Johanes of FSI said he also heard how some Chinese families discriminated against those who “decided to convert to Islam”.
“Whatever the initial motivation for embracing Islam, their unique identity and their efforts to build a space for intercultural interaction… could be considered successful,” he told Al Jazeera.
Al Jazeera spoke to three Chinese Indonesians who are Muslim about their cultural identity.
Maria Leoni, 36
Maria Leoni lives in a village in Jepara, Indonesia’s Central Java province, and runs an ikat cloth business – under the KAINRATU brand – with her husband.
Maria Leoni became Muslim when she was 17 [Courtesy of Maria Leoni]
Once a Christian, Leoni converted to Islam when she was 17 after becoming fascinated by the mosques and hearing the Islamic adhan or call to prayer.
“I was happy hearing the adhan at sunset. I was in front of the television [waiting for adhan]. Perhaps it was already meant to be this way [for me to be Muslim],” she said, wondering “why it sounded pleasant”.
The mother of three, whose parents died when she was in primary school, lived with her late mother’s family. However, when she began wearing the hijab, they told her to leave and she went to live in an orphanage.
Leoni has since deepened her understanding of Islam and went to Saudi Arabia for the umrah in 2019. She is also a member of the Indonesian Chinese Muslim Association.
The 36-year-old has celebrated Ramadan with her family for many years and sees food as a way to bring people together. She enjoys cooking the Chinese Indonesian stir-fried vegetable dish capcai, while her husband likes Javanese-style fried chicken marinated with various spices.
Leoni and her family will visit her husband’s relatives and neighbours’ homes during Lebaran.
“I am proud, even though I am a minority. Proud to be a Muslim, to be a Chinese,” she told Al Jazeera.
Sandra Insana Sari, 28
Sandra Insana Sari works as a freelance master of ceremony and moderator.
She lives in Tangerang, near Jakarta.
Sandra Insani Sari’s father is Chinese and her mother is Sundanese [Courtesy of Sandra Insani Sari]
Sandra’s ethnic Chinese father converted to Islam from Confucianism after getting to know her mother, who is Sundanese, one of Indonesia’s largest ethnic groups.
From kindergarten to primary school, Sandra remembers being racially taunted as Chinese by fellow children – so much so she told people she was Sundanese when they asked.
As she got older, however, the former producer for national television found her mixed background was useful.
“Building relationships would be easier if we were based on similarities,” she said.
“Communication would be closer if we had something in common.”
The 28-year-old says her non-Muslim ethnic Chinese extended family would often break fast with her during Ramadan and invite her to their homes to celebrate Lebaran.
Her hosts would serve nastar (bite-sized pineapple tarts that are popular during festive seasons in Indonesia) and other snacks. When visiting their homes, they also prepared her halal dishes.
“I am accepted as Chinese, I am accepted as Muslim,” she told Al Jazeera. “Accepted in both [worlds].”
Olivia ‘Oliv’ Javina, 20
Originally from Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city, Olivia ‘Oliv’ Javina moved to Lasem in Central Java in 2015.
Olivia ‘Oliv’ Javina attended an Islamic boarding school [Courtesy of Olivia ‘Oliv’ Javina]
The 20-year-old works in digital marketing for her family’s business in Lasem-style hand-drawn batik cloth, which was started by her late grandfather Sigit Witjaksono.
Sigit, a prominent Chinese Indonesian, converted to Islam from Confucianism in 2018; he died three years later.
Lasem is known as the “Town of Santri”, meaning students of pesantren or Islamic boarding schools.
Oliv was one of them.
Before breaking her fast, Oliv tunes into YouTube to listen to fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and other Islamic texts.
She then shares takjil – light snacks with which Muslims break their fast at sunset – such as lemper (savoury glutinous rice with meat filling) with her non-Muslim relatives.
Lasem is also called “Little China” – in part because it is believed to be one of the places where Chinese migrants first arrived in Java.
For Lebaran, Oliv and her extended family – some of them Catholics and some Confucians – will gather together in Lasem.
“What I am most proud of [in Lasem] is [its] tolerance,” she told Al Jazeera.
The three-day festival celebrates the completion of the fasting month of Ramadan by Muslims across the world.
As the fasting month of Ramadan comes to an end, Muslims around the world are preparing for Eid al-Fitr, the “festival of breaking the fast”.
According to astronomical calculations, the month of Ramadan is expected to last 30 days this year, making the first day of Eid in Saudi Arabia and many neighbouring countries likely to be on Wednesday, April 10.
The first day of Eid al-Fitr is determined by the sighting of the crescent moon marking the start of the month of Shawwal, the 10th month of the Islamic (Hijri) calendar.
Lunar months last between 29 and 30 days so Muslims usually have to wait until the night before Eid to verify its date.
After sunset prayers on Monday, April 8, the 29th day of Ramadan, moon sighters will face west with a clear view of the horizon for a first glimpse of the crescent moon. If the new moon is visible, then the next day will be Eid, if not, Muslims will then fast one more day to complete a 30-day month.
Other countries follow independent sightings.
When the sighting has been verified, Eid is declared on television, radio stations and at mosques.
Muslim worshippers prepare to take part in a morning prayer on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, at the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, on April 21, 2023 [Yasin Akgul /AFP]
How do Muslims celebrate Eid?
Traditionally, Eid is celebrated for three days as an official holiday in Muslim-majority countries. However, the number of holiday days varies by country.
Muslims begin Eid day celebrations by partaking in a prayer service that takes place shortly after dawn, followed by a short sermon.
Palestinian Muslims perform the morning Eid al-Fitr prayer, marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Gaza City on May 2, 2022 [Mahmud Hams / AFP]
On their way to the prayer, which is traditionally held in an open area, Muslims recite takbeerat, praising God by saying “Allahu Akbar”, meaning “God is great”.
It is customary to eat something sweet before the prayer, such as date-filled biscuits known as maamoul in the Middle East. This particular festival is known as the “sweet” Eid – and the distribution of sweets is common across the Muslim world.
Muslims usually spend the day visiting relatives and neighbours and accepting sweets as they move around from house to house.
Each country has traditional desserts and sweets that are prepared before Eid or on the morning of the first day.
Children, dressed in new clothes, are offered gifts and money to celebrate the joyous occasion.
Children ride a swing on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, in the rebel-held town of Maaret Misrin in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province, on April 21, 2023 [Abdulaziz Ketaz / AFP]
Girls and women in many countries decorate their hands with henna. The celebration for Eid begins the night before as women gather in neighbourhoods and large family gatherings for the application of henna.
A girl shows her hand decorated with henna at a market area ahead of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the Muslim holy festival of Ramadan, in Srinagar, on April 20, 2023 [Tauseef Mustafa / AFP]
In some countries, families visit graveyards to offer their respects to departed family members right after the morning prayers.
It is common for Muslim-majority countries to decorate their cities with lights and hold festivities to commemorate the end of the fasting month.
A general view shows the Alif Ki mosque illuminated during the holy month of Ramadan, ahead of Eid al-Fitr, in Ahmedabad on April 19, 2023 [Sam Panthaky / AFP]
Eid amid the onslaught in Gaza
For some 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza this Eid, this will be the first Muslim religious holiday after more than 33,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks. With little food aid, and very limited water, Gaza’s Eid al-Fitr will be mired in destruction amid the continuing attacks.
What are common Eid greetings?
The most popular greeting is “Eid Mubarak” (Blessed Eid) or “Eid sa’id” (Happy Eid). Eid greetings also vary depending on the country and language.
The video below shows how people say Eid Mubarak in different languages around the world.
Washington, DC – The White House has cancelled a Ramadan iftar meal after several Muslim Americans declined the invitation in protest of President Joe Biden’s support for Israel’s war on Gaza, according to two people familiar with the matter.
The sources, who spoke to Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity, said the cancellation on Tuesday came after Muslim community members warned leaders against attending the White House meal.
Edward Ahmed Mitchell, the deputy director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), also said the event was nixed because so many people chose not to attend, including invitees who had initially agreed to go.
“The American Muslim community said very early on that it would be completely unacceptable for us to break bread with the very same White House that is enabling the Israeli government to starve and slaughter the Palestinian people in Gaza,” Mitchell told Al Jazeera.
Both CNN and NPR had reported on Monday that the White House was preparing a small community iftar.
But hours later, on Tuesday, the White House announced instead that it would be hosting a meal for Muslim government staffers only and holding a separate meeting with a few Muslim American community figures.
The cancelled iftar underscores Biden’s struggle to stem growing anger in US Arab and Muslim communities over his unconditional support for Israel.
Critics warn the outrage could translate into peril for Biden at the ballot box during November’s presidential election.
‘We listened,’ White House says
Over the past two decades, US presidents have hosted iftars with dozens of prominent Muslim Americans. Mirroring other religious and cultural events at the White House, Ramadan meals have served as a celebration of the Muslim community and are traditionally open to the press.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed that Biden and his Vice President Kamala Harris will meet with Muslim “community leaders” on Tuesday.
Asked why the “community leaders” will not attend the iftar, Jean-Pierre said that they requested a meeting instead of a meal.
“They wanted to make sure that there was an opportunity to discuss the issues at hand,” she told reporters.
“They thought it would be important to do that. And so, we listened, we heard, and we adjusted the format to be responsive.”
Several Muslim American activists said the meeting will be another futile “photo-op”, arguing that the Muslim community has made its position known over the past six months.
“No matter how many meetings we have, no matter how many people have gone in, no matter how many conversations are being held, the White House has refused to change,” said Mohamad Habehh, the director of development at American Muslims for Palestine.
Habehh stressed that Biden cannot claim to care for the Muslim American community if he does not end his backing of Israel.
“These photo-ops that they’re doing — these discussions that they’re doing to somehow show they still have the Muslim community’s support — are just pathetic attempts to make themselves look good at a time where their true colours have been seen,” Habehh told Al Jazeera.
The Biden administration has held several off-the-record meetings with some Arabs and Muslims across the country since the start of the war in Gaza.
‘Selected by the White House’
A key issue with such talks, activists say, is that the administration has been handpicking whom to meet with.
A Muslim advocate close to the administration presented a list of credible Palestinian American leaders to invite for a meeting at the White House last year, but the government rejected the suggested individuals, one source told Al Jazeera.
Emgage, a Muslim political advocacy group that endorsed Biden in 2020, said it received an invitation to Tuesday’s meeting but declined to attend, citing the US’s unconditional support for Israel and the mounting death toll in Gaza.
“In this moment of tremendous pain and suffering, we have asked the White House to postpone this gathering and to convene a proper policy meeting with representatives of the community’s choosing, rather than those selected by the White House,” Emgage CEO Wa’el Alzayat said in a statement.
Emgage outlined a list of demands for Biden, including an “immediate and permanent” ceasefire, the resumption of funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and a “legitimate political track” for a Palestinian state.
“Emgage is ready to support efforts that engage in a substantive manner on the above priorities. However, without more Palestinian voices and policy experts in the room, we do not believe today’s meeting will provide for such an opportunity,” Alzayat said.
Hebah Kassem, a Palestinian American political strategist, echoed that concern.
“The administration is strategically selecting who should be at the table, and they’re picking people who likely won’t be critical of their actions and policies,” Kassem told Al Jazeera.
“Why are we allowing them to choose who represents us? These meetings haven’t led to any change. If anything, Biden has doubled down his support for Israel and increased the supply of weapons to Israel.”
US support for Israel
The Biden administration has ruled out conditioning or stopping the flow of weapons to Israel despite mounting Israeli atrocities.
The Israeli offensive has killed close to 33,000 Palestinians, destroyed large parts of Gaza and pushed the territory to the verge of famine.
While the Biden administration has occasionally expressed concern about the actions of the Israeli government, it has regularly asserted its commitment to the alliance with Israel.
On Tuesday, for example, the White House expressed outrage over the Israeli attack that killed seven World Central Kitchen humanitarian workers.
Still, White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that the US will not hold a “sort of condition over their [Israel’s] neck”.
“We’re still going to make sure that they can defend themselves,” he said.
Abed Ayoub, the executive director of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), said Biden’s unwavering support for Israel shows that meetings with administration officials over Gaza have not worked.
“You’ve got to measure the effectiveness of these meetings through results and actions by the administration,” he told Al Jazeera. “The administration knows where we stand; they don’t need to hear it again.”
But Salima Suswell, the leader of the Black Muslim Leadership Council, said it is important for Biden to hear the perspective of Muslim Americans directly. She is attending Tuesday’s meeting at the White House.
“The President needs to understand that Black Muslims and Black Americans are devastated by the ongoing tragedy in Gaza, the loss of so many lives, and the Administration’s support of the onslaught,” Suswell told Al Jazeera in an email.
“The President has an election coming up, and Black voters and Muslims will be pivotal. I want to make clear to him what is at stake should he not take action.”
The KK Super Mart chain apologised after photos of the socks on sale caused widespread anger among Muslims.
A convenience store chain in Malaysia that triggered outrage for selling socks with the word “Allah” has been hit with a Molotov cocktail, police said.
The attack on Saturday came days after the KK Super Mart chain’s top executives were charged for hurting religious feelings because it sold the socks.
Wan Mohamad Zahari Wan Busu, the police chief in Kuantan city in Malaysia’s east, said the explosive device caused a small fire at the entrance of the store’s branch there, but no injuries were reported.
The attack was “still under investigation, but we’re not denying that it may be related to the incident involving stockings with the word ‘Allah’”, he told the AFP news agency.
Pictures of the socks spread on social media this month, prompting public anger among some Muslims who regarded them as insulting, especially because they went up for sale during the holy fasting month of Ramadan.
About two-thirds of the 34 million population is Malay Muslim, with large minorities of ethnic Chinese and people of Indian origin also practising Islam.
On Tuesday, a petrol bomb was thrown into a KK Super Mart outlet in Perak state, the Reuters news agency reported.
The chain’s founder Chai Kee Kan and his wife Loh Siew Mui, a company director, were on Tuesday formally charged with “deliberately intending to hurt … religious feelings”. Three representatives from KK Super Mart’s supplier, Xin Jian Chang, were also charged.
All the defendants pleaded not guilty. The chain’s executives were freed on bail, with a hearing set for April 29. If convicted, they could face up to a year in jail, a fine, or both.
Malaysia’s second-largest mini-market chain has previously apologised for the socks and said it had taken immediate action to stop their sale. It also sued the supplier of the socks, alleging sabotage and damage to its brand reputation.
The supplier said the “problematic socks were part of a larger shipment of 18,800 pairs ordered” from a company based in China.
An 8-year-old girl is said to be the sole survivor of a bus crash in South Africa that killed at least 45 people when the vehicle plunged off a bridge into a ravine.
As the sun sets during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, Muslims from around the world gather to break their fast with dates and water followed by a meal known as iftar.
There are some 1.9 billion Muslims around the world, approximately 25 percent of the global population. For many however, rising food prices have meant that households have had to consider cutting back on some of their favourite Ramadan dishes.
To see just how much the prices of various ingredients have increased over the past year, Al Jazeera compared the prices of dozens of ingredients from a variety of supermarket chains from 14 countries around the world. Below are pictures of these traditional meals along with their corresponding prices, listed alphabetically.
Argentina
From South America, we have a locally inspired main dish with beef asado, featuring various cuts of grilled meat with chimichurri – a tangy parsley dipping sauce.
As a side, we have empanadas, a popular savoury pastry consisting of ground beef or vegetables, and for dessert, dulce de leche pancakes with a sweet and creamy caramel sauce, topped with fresh fruit.
To drink, Argentinians will often enjoy a traditional herbal tea made from the yerba mate plant.
Argentina has experienced one of the world’s highest levels of inflation, with the cost of food increasing 303 percent in February 2024 compared with February of the previous year.
To prepare this particular iftar meal, Al Jazeera calculated that a single serving would cost about 7,200 pesos ($8.4) today, compared with about 1,782 pesos ($2) in 2023, reflecting an increase of more than four times.
(Al Jazeera)
Australia
For the world’s largest island, Australia’s iftar experience is a reflection of the country’s multicultural landscape, blending flavours from across the globe.
At the heart of the meal is a “halal snack pack”, a popular street food turned staple dish of shaved lamb over a bed of hot chips and topped with garlic and barbeque sauce.
For the side, a hearty lentil soup with vegetables is often enjoyed and for those with a sweet tooth, there are lamingtons – sponge cake coated in chocolate, filled with jam and blanketed with desiccated coconut.
Best served chilled, cordial is a sweet and refreshing fruit concentrate to rehydrate after a summer day of fasting.
Similar to other Western countries, Australia has also struggled to curb inflation. Al Jazeera calculated that it costs about 12.5 Australian dollars ($8.1) to have this meal in 2024, up from about 11 Australian dollars ($7) the year before.
The biggest price increases came from key ingredients including meat and eggs.
(Al Jazeera)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Among the highest Muslim populations in Europe, Bosnia and Herzegovina has a variety of traditional foods reflecting its multicultural heritage. A solid choice on a Bosnian iftar table is pita krompiruša, a baked dish consisting of layers of thin phyllo dough filled with a savoury mixture of mashed potatoes, onions and spices.
Following the hearty start, the meal transitions to topa, a slow-cooked side of melted cheese and butter. The transition to sweetness is marked by hurmašica, a syrup-soaked dessert that is both sweet and comforting.
Concluding the iftar is a glass of sok od drenjina, a popular beverage made from the fruit of the Cornelian cherry tree.
Combining all meals, Al Jazeera calculated that it costs about 2.9 BAM ($1.6) for a single serving of this meal this Ramadan. In 2023 the same meal cost 2.7 BAM ($1.5), a 7 percent increase.
The higher cost of potatoes, sugar and butter was mainly responsible for a more expensive Bosnian iftar meal in 2024.
Egypt
A country steeped in centuries-old traditions and culinary heritage, an Egyptian iftar table may include a local delicacy of grape leaves stuffed with a mixture of rice, minced meat and spices.
For a nutritious and comforting soup, chopped molokhiya (jute leaves) prepared with garlic and coriander is always a good choice, followed by kunafa, a sweet and cheesy dessert staple eaten across the Middle East and North Africa.
To quench one’s thirst, qamar al-din, a traditional apricot drink, is a crowd favourite.
Egypt is currently experiencing record levels of inflation and a depreciating currency. This has meant that the prices of many ingredients, most notably ghee and sugar, are nearly three times more expensive than they were last Ramadan.
Al Jazeera calculated that this Ramadan, it will cost roughly 68 Egyptian pounds ($1.4) to prepare a single serving of the meal above. In 2023, the same meal cost 39 Egyptian pounds ($0.8), an increase of 74 percent.
India
India has a great variety of iftar meals to choose from. Among one of the favourites is ghugni, a vegetarian curry made of peas or chickpeas and cooked with onions, tomatoes and various spices.
For sides, there’s pakora, a deep-fried vegetable fritter made with onions and green chillies. For dessert, we have suji halwa, a semolina pudding cooked with ghee and sugar and topped with nuts.
To cleanse the palate, one can reach for a glass of refreshing rose drink made from rose syrup, water and often a splash of lime or mint.
In combining these ingredients, Al Jazeera calculated that it costs roughly 149 rupees ($1.8) to prepare a serving of this meal this Ramadan. The same meal last year actually cost 162 rupees ($1.9), a decrease of 9 percent.
The main reason for this was the drop in the price of onions which were used widely in this dish. The price of all other other ingredients either increased or stayed the same.
India is the world’s largest exporter of onions. In December, the country imposed a ban on all onion exports to increase domestic availability and drive down prices which have more than halved since the ban took effect. On March 23, the ban, which was due to expire on March 31, was extended indefinitely.
(Al Jazeera)
Indonesia
In the world’s largest Muslim nation, spanning six thousand inhabited islands, Indonesia’s iftar traditions are locally inspired by the unique flavour of bubur – a traditional rice porridge topped with shredded chicken, peanuts, greens and an array of spices.
A favourite side dish is, bakwan, a crispy vegetable fritter containing a variety of vegetables such as shredded carrots, cabbage and bean sprouts. For those with a sweet tooth, there is kolak pisang, a sweet dessert made with bananas cooked in coconut milk, sugar and pandan leaves.
And to wrap up the flavourful meal, wash it down with a glass of es timun suri, a refreshing melon and coconut-infused drink.
To prepare the meal, Al Jazeera calculated that it costs about 66,600 rupiah ($4.2) for a serving this year. The cost last year was 62,600 rupiah ($3.9), about 6 percent lower.
(Al Jazeera)
Malaysia
A predominantly Muslim nation, Malaysian cuisine is locally inspired with beef rendang, a rich and spicy coconut milk-based beef dish.
As a side, Malaysians often enjoy sayur lodeh, a fragrant vegetable stew made of coconut milk, with eggplant, beans and nuts.
To complement the rich flavours, many Malaysians will reach for a glass of sirap bandung, a sweet rose syrup-infused milk.
And to top things off, a popular dessert is seri muka, a two-layered rice and pandan custard.
Combining all the necessary ingredients, Al Jazeera calculated that it costs roughly 6.9 ringgits ($1.5) to prepare a single serving of this meal in 2024. In 2023 the same meal cost about 6.4 ringgits ($1.3), an increase of 7 percent.
For Malaysia’s iftar, the largest price increases over the past year were in fresh food items, including eggs and coconut milk.
(Al Jazeera)
Nigeria
Nigerian cuisine is known for its diverse ingredients and vibrant spices. For the main course, Nigerians, like many across West Africa, will often enjoy jollof rice, a red aromatic rice, served with chicken.
To enhance the flavours, one could enjoy moi moi – a savoury pudding made from black-eyed peas or beans.
And for dessert, a good choice is a fresh fruit salad.
To top things off, a Nigerian iftar is best served with zobo, a popular beverage made from dried hibiscus flowers.
Africa’s most populous nation has seen a worsening inflation rate, aggressively increasing the price of poultry and other fresh food items.
Al Jazeera calculated that in 2024 it costs about 6,500 naira ($4.4) to prepare a serving of this meal, compared with about 3,860 naira ($2.6) the year before – an increase of about 68 percent.
(Al Jazeera)
Pakistan
Nearing Iftar time in Pakistan, the atmosphere is imbued with anticipation and warmth starting with dahi baray – lentil fritters, doused in yoghurt and topped with sweet and spicy chutneys.
On the side, we have fruit chaat, a sweet and savoury fruit salad sprinkled with chaat masala. For dessert is jalebi – a popular street food made with flour and sugar with a gooey centre.
A beautiful round-off for iftar is a rose-flavoured drink.
Totalling up the grocery cost, Al Jazeera calculated a serving of this iftar meal to be 172 rupees ($0.6). In 2023 the same meal cost 141 rupees ($0.5), about an 18 percent increase.
Pakistan’s inflation levels have remained high with food inflation reaching a record high of 48.65 percent in May 2023. Looking at our list of ingredients, we found that the largest price hikes were seen in vegetables, sugar and ghee.
Palestine
One of the most widely eaten dishes across Palestine and the Levant region is maklouba, which translates from Arabic to “upside-down”. It is a flavourful rice dish with layers of sliced eggplants, meat and other vegetables cooked together in a pot, then flipped upside-down onto a serving platter before eating.
Complementing the maklouba is dagga – a traditional spicy tomato and cucumber salad covered in olive oil.
For dessert, a great Ramadan choice is katayif, a type of semi-circular stuffed pancake often filled with walnuts or cheese and then dipped in syrup.
Tamir hindi is a popular drink made with tamarind and sugar.
Totalling up the grocery cost, Al Jazeera calculated that it costs about 31.5 shekels ($9) to prepare a serving of this iftar meal in the occupied West Bank this Ramadan. The same meal cost 28.5 shekels ($8) in 2023, an 11 percent increase.
Olive oil had the most significant price increase, nearly doubling from 30 shekels ($8.2) per litre in 2023 to 55 shekels ($15) this year. The price of meat also saw a 10 percent increase.
Observing Ramadan in Gaza amid Israel’s continuing assault has been a huge challenge for many Palestinians. Preparing a meal is a luxury that many can’t afford. According to people on the ground, a single egg now costs 6 shekels ($1.64).
Despite this, families are trying to keep their spirits and traditions alive by preparing whatever meals they can. Al Jazeera spoke to some of these displaced families who are now living in tents in Rafah.
(Al Jazeera)
South Africa
The Rainbow Nation has a variety of racial and ethnic groups. Preparing a traditional meal means bringing together various foods. For the main course, South Africans can enjoy a classic combo of pap en vleis, also known as shisa nyama – a maize meal porridge eaten with barbecued meat.
Accompanying this is chakalaka, a spicy vegetable relish made with onions, tomatoes, carrots, beans and spices. For dessert, koeksisters – braided deep-fried dough drenched in syrup – provide a crunchy treat.
To round off the meal, a “Stoney” – carbonated ginger beer – offers a refreshing end to the iftar.
Like many countries, South Africa is battling rising inflation. Al Jazeera calculated that it costs about 77 rand ($4.0) to prepare a serving of the iftar meal above. In 2023 the same meal cost 68 rand ($3.6), about a 13 percent increase.
The biggest price increases came from the price of store-bought chakalaka and pantry items such as cake flour and sugar.
Turkey
As the sun sets in Turkey, many families will feast on dolma – stuffed vegetables with a mixture of rice, meat and herbs.
On the side, is a bowl of cacik, a creamy yoghurt and cucumber dip. For dessert, one of the many choices might be a bowl of muhallebi, a milk pudding flavoured with cinnamon and nuts.
And to support digestion, salgam, a fermented turnip beverage is a good choice.
Turkey has also seen soaring levels of inflation. Setting out the table for iftar, Al Jazeera calculated that a serving of this meal costs about 60.5 lira ($1.9), compared with about 50.6 lira ($1.6) a year ago – an increase of about 20 percent.
Among the biggest price hikes came in the form of dairy products including milk and yoghurt.
(Al Jazeera)
United Kingdom
There are roughly four million Muslims in the UK. Like many other non-Muslim majority countries, the choice of iftar meals depends largely on a household’s ethnic background. A hearty British seafood iftar could comprise a slice of salmon fillet served with a side of greens and a bowl of rice.
Served after the main course could be a bowl of fruit yoghurt.
Packed with antioxidants, and aiding digestion could be a hot cup of green tea.
For this year’s iftar, Al Jazeera calculated that it costs roughly 2.2 pounds ($2.7) for a single serving of the meal above. That’s a marginal increase of about 4 percent from the previous year of 2.1 pounds ($2.6).
In 2022, the UK experienced seven months of double-digit inflation peaking at 11.1 percent in October. The rate has since settled at about 4 percent during the first few months of 2024.
(Al Jazeera)
United States
The United States has a diverse Muslim community with about three to four million members – or about one percent of the population. A popular main dish enjoyed across many American households is the culinary classic oven-roasted chicken infused with herbs and spices.
Complementing the roast, one might find the traditional Middle Eastern green salad topped with crispy pieces of toasted bread known as fattoush.
For dessert, one can’t go wrong with a piece of kunafa, a sweet and cheesy dessert topped with nuts.
To round off the evening, one can reach for a flavoured milk of your choice.
To prepare this year’s meal, Al Jazeera estimated costs are roughly $7.1 per serving this Ramadan. Last year the same meal cost about $6.7, an increase of about 5 percent.
For the most part, the prices of the ingredients needed to prepare this meal have held firm with slight increases in the price of poultry and dairy.
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